Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Mothers' speech to children of four different ages

  • Published:
Journal of Psycholinguistic Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This study reports analyses, in terms of five different measures, of the speech on two standard tasks of 32 middle-class mothers to their children aged 1 1/2, 2 1/2, 4, and 6 years. Sex and birth order of child were not found to be related to mothers' speech. On four of the measures, both task and age of child had strongly significant effects. In general, with increasing age of child, mothers spoke more, in longer and grammatically more complex utterances, with greater diversity of vocabulary. The differences in speech addressed to 1 1/2-year-olds and that addressed to 2 1/2-year-olds were particularly marked.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Broen, P. (1971). A discussion of the linguistic environment of the young, language learning child. Paper presented at ASHA Meeting, November.

  • Brown, R., and Bellugi, U. (1964). Three processes in the child's acquisition of syntax.Harvard Educ. Rev. 34:133–151.

    Google Scholar 

  • Drach, K., Kobashigawa, B., Pfuderer, C., and Slobin, D. (1969). The structure of linguistic input to children. Working Paper No. 14, Language-Behavior Research Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Granowsky, S., and Krossner, W. J. (1970). Kindergarten teachers as models for children's speech.J. Exptl. Educ. 38:23–28.

    Google Scholar 

  • Phillips, J. R. (1973). Syntax and vocabulary of mother's speech to young children: Age and sex comparisons.Child Develop. 44:182–185.

    Google Scholar 

  • Snow, C. E. (1972). Mothers' speech to children learning language.Child Develop. 43:549–565.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Social and Political Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, England

    Colin Fraser

  2. Department of Psychology, University of Bristol, Bristol, England

    Naomi Roberts

Authors
  1. Colin Fraser
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Naomi Roberts
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Additional information

The research was supported primarily by a grant from the Nuffield Foundation Small Grant Scheme, and in part by British S.S.R.C. Grant HR 1821.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Fraser, C., Roberts, N. Mothers' speech to children of four different ages. J Psycholinguist Res 4, 9–16 (1975). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01066986

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01066986

Keywords

Search

Navigation